Long Live the King
by What Are This Life
Summary: It's been over a year since the death of King Arthur. With a war like no other quickly growing and closing in, it seems Albion is at its greatest need.
1. Chapter 1

It had been quiet in Albion for the past year. Well, more than a year. A year and 9 months to be exact. Ever since Arthur died, things hadn't been the same as they were before. There was the occasional crime or broken law here or there, but now that magic was no longer outlawed, things were better in a sense, that is, until now. People who practiced magic did not use it for evil. Well, most of them didn't. There was still the occasional evil sorcerer, but it was never as bad as it was before, never as bad as Morgana. And no one had magic like Merlin did. He was still the most powerful Sorcerer in Albion.

Camelot was no more. Queen Guinevere had made the proclamation a little more than a month after Arthur died. The kingdom of Camelot was now to be officially called Albion, in honor of the King. Not even that part of Arthur remained. Over time, people recovered from the loss of the king. Except those two. Guinevere, the queen, with her pure heart, and her kindness. She never fully recovered. She accepted it over time, but there would always be a place in her heart, that could only be filled by that one person. And Merlin, now free to use his magic as he wished. But he never recovered. He could never accept the fact that Arthur was gone. He never smiled the same way he did when Arthur was around. He never expressed joy the way he did before. And he, one of the only two things in the world which held a piece of Arthur within them. Merlin, and Albion's young Prince, Lance.

Lance was named after one of the bravest Knights of the Round Table, Sir Lancelot. The tale of whom was known well throughout the kingdom. Born just 9 months after the Kings death, just a year ago, with his birthday approaching soon. And he had never known. Arthur had never known he was to have a son, because no one knew. Arthur's child, conceived the night before he died. The son of the once and future king. Merlin was like an uncle to Lance, like he was a brother to Arthur, more than that even. They were the same, yet so different, Merlin and Arthur. Two sides of the same coin. And it could be seen in that small child. That trace of Arthur that Merlin so longed for. So young, yet so like his late father. Things were well. At least, they were until now.

There was a war. A great war, the likes of which had never been seen before. Many were dying. The Great Dragon Kilgharrah had passed on, shortly after Arthur, and so he could not help this time. But there was still Aithusa. The white dragon, who was once loyal to Morgana, but now loyal to all of Albion. Merlin's best companion since Arthur passed. Now healthy, yet still unable to speak, but she could think. She could communicate with Merlin in his mind, and Merlin could do the same. But not even Aithusa could help win this battle. Not even Merlin's magic could save Albion. Only one man could do that. The once and future king, Arthur Pendragon.

Gwen sat on her throne, waiting for the latest report from out of the city. Gaius, to her right, had aged tremendously over the past year, but was loyal as always. Gladly, he cut his hair back to its usual short length. Lance sat on the floor, playing with his small toys, and a wooden dragon that Merlin had given him. Then, there was Merlin. He was in his usual outfit, a blue shirt with a red scarf around his neck, was sitting in his usual spot by the window, staring out at all the people living their lives, moving cups and dishes with his magic in an attempt to think about anything else that what is going on. Anything else but Arthur, how he missed him. But that was impossible. No matter what, Arthur was always on his mind. All of a sudden, Sir Leon, one of the few Knights of the Round Table who still remained, burst through the doors. Out of breath and clearly wounded, he had come a long distance. They all knew why he was there. He brought news from the borders, news on the war.

Even the Lady Morgana knew what was coming. She had told Arthur before she died. "You may have won the battle, but you've lost the war." Merlin didn't know it at the time, but she was right. She wasn't talking about Mordred. She wasn't talking about herself, or Arthur's death. She was talking about the future. A war like no other, a war that was coming. A war, that was here.

"My Lady" said Leon, still gasping and panting, begging for air. "The towns on the borders, they are in ruins. There was nothing we could do. Half of our men were slaughtered, the rest were sent to flee. The enemy is closing in. We must secure the castle. We must protect you and the child. Albion_ is_ at its weakest." A look of which had never been seen before crossed over the Queen's face. Not fear, not anger, but sadness. A look of sadness like no other. Sadness, and remorse, for those who were killed. For the husbands and wives that would never see their other halves again. For the parents who would never see their children, and children who would never see their parents again.

"Gather as many survivors as possible into the walls. We must protect our citizens" she spoke, calm and collected on the outside, but not within. The strongest Queen that Albion would ever see was terrified. Sir Leon nodded and walked out, limping slightly. A single tear fell down the face of the Queen. Hardly noticeable to anyone who wasn't looking. But Merlin was. He wanted to go and hug her, and tell her everything was going to be alright, but he couldn't. He knew that she didn't want anyone to see her cry. She needed this one moment when she thought no one was looking.

"This war is only getting worse my lady. It seems Albion is at its greatest need" said Gaius, a look of pain across his frail face. Merlin stopped. The entire world seemed to freeze around them. The dishes that he was moving crashed to the ground, and shattered with a loud crack into a hundred pieces. "Merlin?" Gaius said, now becoming concerned.

"Merlin are you alright?" Said Gwen, standing up.

"Gaius? What did you just say?" said Merlin, who was now, for the first time in over a year, showing the smallest amount of something remarkable. Something so amazing, and so powerful, it could work wonders not even magic could create. Hope. The tiniest amount of hope bubbled up inside Merlin, because, less than two years ago, the Great Dragon had spoken. He had spoken words that could give no greater hope, and no greater longing.

"Though no man, no matter how great, can know his destiny. Some lives have been foretold Merlin. Arthur is not just a king, he is the once and future king. Take heart, for when Albion's need is greatest, Arthur will rise again." Merlin had only repeated those words once to anyone. Not Guinevere, not Sir Leon, not even to Gaius. Only Merlin and one other knew the words that the Great Dragon had spoken to him so long ago.

"Please Gaius, tell me. What did you say?" Over and over, as if on an infinite loop, the Great Dragon's words played in Merlin's mind.

"I said" said Gaius, looking rather puzzled "It seems Albion is at its greatest need."

Merlin smiled. He smiled so wide and so bright it filled the room with a sort of glow. "It's time." Merlin got up, and ran out of the room. Gaius and Guinevere called his name behind him, but he payed no mind. Through the crowds of people in the streets, through the guards trying to keep him in the city, he ran faster than he had ever run before in his life. He ran and ran, not daring to stop. Not daring to take a break. He ran until he could run no more, he ran until his feet couldn't take it anymore. He kept going until he fell. In an empty field, he collapsed. Saying the name over and over again. "Arthur… Arthur… Arthur…" He sat up in the field where he lay. Panting and gasping, he stood. "O drakon, e mala soi ftengometh tesd'hup anankes! Erkheo!" he called into the sky. Moments later, Aithusa, white winged and beautiful soared into view. She landed gracefully on the grass. She had grown tremendously over the past year, free to go wherever she pleased. She was half the size of the Great Dragon now, but would never be able to speak aloud. But she could still think.

"Hello Merlin." Aithusa's words were as clear in Merlin's mind as if he were hearing them aloud.

"Aithusa" said Merlin aloud, still panting. "I need to ask a favor of you."

"Anything for you young warlock."

"I need you to take me somewhere." said Merlin, walking closer to the Dragon.

"Where do you need to go that is so important? I have told you a hundred times before, I am not a horse." Aithusa paused and smirked slightly. She loved the inside jokes of the past that the two of them shared together.

"To the Lake of Avalon. I have a friend waiting for me." Aithusa smiled, for she and Merlin were the only ones who knew what Kilgharrah had said. Aithusa bowed and Merlin climbed on her back. They took off, with the sun in the sky and a gentle breeze floating in the air. And Merlin knew then, for the first time in over a year, that everything was going to be all right.


	2. Chapter 2

The two of them soared high in the sky, above the clouds. The wind blew through Merlin's hair and, for the first time in a long while, Merlin felt free, and more importantly, happy. The sun was high in the sky behind the two of them, and it gave off a wonderful warmth on the back of Merlin's neck. Merlin raised his arms and shouted at the top of his lugs "Wahhoo!" He laughed. I wonderful long laugh that rang through the clouds. He hadn't enjoyed flying this much since the first time he tried it. "I'm coming Arthur!" he shouted. Aithusa landed on the shore of the lake and Merlin climbed off excitedly. He could barely take his eyes off the island which lay across the water in front of him. "The last time I was here" he said, turning his head towards the ground, almost as if he were talking to himself. He turned to Aithusa once more. "The last time I was here, I had to watch while my best friend lay dead in my arms" That moment flashed in front of Merlin again, as it did every day, but Merlin was able to wave it away now. He turned away and looked over the water to the Isle ahead of him.

"Merlin" Aithusa thought, "I know you have a plan somewhere in that glorious mind of yours, but would you please explain to me what you are going to do?" Merlin ignored her and focused his mind. He raised his hand out in front of him, closed his eyes, and repeated a spell in his head, a skill he had been working hard to develop. Merlin opened his eyes and they glowed the usual shimmering gold that they always did when he performed magic. Suddenly, a small boat and two oars appeared on the shore in front of him. "Merlin!" Aithusa repeated, now becoming frustrated. "What are you going to do? Do you honestly expect Arthur to just be waiting on the shore, completely fine, just waiting for a ride over the water?"

"No" said Merlin, refocusing on Aithusa once more. "That's not what I expect to happen."

"Then what do you plan on doing?" Aithusa thought, more irritated than before.

"Oh Aithusa, you know me so well, you know exactly what I'm going to do."

She sighed with irritation using one of the few sounds she could actually make aloud. "Merlin" she thought once more "You have tried that spell countless times on him before."

"Yes, I know" He interrupted, as he began to climb into the boat he had summoned. "And the spell works perfectly"

"Yes it works, just not on him. That was a magic blade Merlin, which I do regret forging entirely. And believe me Merlin, if I could undo the past, I would-"

"Aithusa, it is not your fault as I have told you a hundred times before. You knew not what the blade was to be used for."

"My point is" she thought to him once more "I don't understand what makes you think it will work now, when it never worked on him before!"

"Because" he said, now seated comfortably. "This is when we need him most." Merlin pushed off shore with the oars and rowed toward the Isle that lay ahead of him. He paddled as hard as he could while Aithusa waited on shore, where Kilgharrah had left him so long ago. She lay down in the tall grass while Merlin paddled. Suddenly it began to rain. Nothing serious, just a sprinkle. Merlin was glad actually, it hadn't rained in over a week. Merlin rowed more, but his arms grew weaker. He stopped for a moment. "Can't wait long" he panted "Have to hurry." He set off again, slower this time, so he could give himself a rest.

"Merlin!" Aithusa called out. "Merlin wait!"

Merlin stopped once more. He looked around, then back at Aithusa. Nothing looked array, so why did she now so full of terror? He was about to call back to her, but then he noticed it as well. All of a sudden the sky was grey, and dark clouds swirled in and filled the sky with a sense of dread. Merlin looked at his hands, then at his clothes, and the boat below him. Everything looked normal, except for the sky overhead. Then, the rain poured, and oh how it came! It down poured unlike any other time in history. It seemed to downpour forever, and Merlin had to decide what to do next. "No" he said to himself. "I am through waiting"

Through the rain Merlin rowed, harder than before, because the rain only made matters worse. He kept going until he hit the Isle. His boat bumped up on shore and he sat there for a moment, and smiled. He got up and ran out of the little boat. Once he was on shore, he looked around, but there was nothing. He took a few steps forward, "He must be around here somewhere" he thought to himself. He stopped, and then decided to save time and just use magic. He concentrated, closed his eyes, and searched the path ahead until he saw him. He opened his eyes and smiled. "There you are." He ran once more through the rain, to where he had seen him. He was just behind a large wall of rocks. He reached the point where he knew he was close, and looked around once more, and there he was. "Arthur!" he exclaimed, with such happiness as he had never let out before. He ran towards the boat on which he had laid Arthurs body so long ago. Arthur lay cold and motionless still, no traces of life, still unmoved, but perfectly preserved due to both Merlin's, and the Isle's combined magic. "Arthur." he repeated once more, kneeling beside the boat.

He sat there for a moment looking down at Arthur's body, and then looked down again at his hands. Something was happening, something new. His hands were doing something he had never seen before. They had a golden glow, like sunshine, coming from them. Both of them, just his hands, had begun to shine. It had started softly but as Merlin continued to look at them they grew brighter and brighter. Suddenly, he knew what to do. As the glow in his hands began to fade, he lifted Arthur gently out of the boat, and lay him on a patch of grass. He looked at his hands once more and they shone brighter once more. The rain poured down on Merlin's face, but he did not care. He lifted his hands and placed them over Arthur's heart and tried to begin.

Merlin didn't know how he learned the spell, it had come to him one night in a dream, a dream he had been having a lot over the past year. His father, Balinor, would repeat the spell to him, and then Morgana would appear, and laugh. The first time Merlin had dreamt this, he bolted out of bed and called Aithusa to bring him to the isle. He would do this every time the dream came to him, which was at least once a month, but it never had any effect on anything. But this time was different, he could just feel it. It would work this time. He closed his eyes once more, and a sense of nostalgia filled him. He remembered all the times he had saved Arthur, and how many time Arthur had saved him. How much they had been through together. What if Arthur wasn't happy to see him? What if he was still angry at him for being magic? What if he never wanted to speak to Merlin again? "No. He's Arthur. He's my friend." He said to himself. "Everything will be fine."

As the rain poured down Merlin's face, he silently began the spell. Once, twice, three times. "Arthur," he ended aloud. He opened his eyes and took his hands off of Arthur's chest. The rain came to a sudden stop as everything around him seemed to freeze. No wind howling, no birds chirping, no rain pouring down on the surrounding landscape. Merlin looked down at Arthur, then all around, and nothing happened. "Arthur" said Merlin finally. He leaned down next to Arthur and whispered in his ear, "It's time."

All of a sudden, the waves began to beat down on the shore. Merlin looked back to the shore where Aithusa sat. She looked back at him and it sounded as if she were trying to say something to him, but the sound of the water drowned her out. "I can't hear what you're saying!" he cried out. She tried once more.

"I said be careful Merlin!" Merlin heard her this time, faintly.

"I will!" He shouted back aloud. He turned back to Arthur, who had still not moved. "Maybe I just have to try again." He said, becoming slightly worried. He placed his hands on Arthur's chest once more. Just as he was about to begin his spell again, a crack of lightning hit the lake. Thunder roared throughout the sky, and Merlin's eyes jolted open. Merlin looked around. The waves had died down again, and the clouds had disappeared, but other than that nothing had changed. He was confused, this had never happened before… Was this a sign of good fortune, or a bad omen?

"Merlin" said Arthur's voice, as clear and familiar as ever. "Why on Earth, have you got your hands on my chest?"


End file.
